Crumbelina

Once upon a time, there was a very small girl.

This girl was not simply shorter than usual or small for her age, rather, she was the size of a crumb. Of course, I’m not talking one of those little, almost invisible crumbs– like a grain of sugar or something. I mean that she was the size of, like, an oversized cookie crumb. Maybe a centimeter or so tall? I guess that’s more of a chunk of a cookie. But it’s not like her parents were going name her Chunkelina. That’s just cruel. I don’t know. That’s not the point.

The point is, she was very small. In fact, her parents (who had always wished for a child), found her as a baby, resting on a fluffy, white dandelion. That fateful day, the dandelion had granted the parents’ wish. Which is ironic considering the fact that if they had made their wish on the dandelion, Crumbelina would’ve been deep in trouble.

The parents took Crumbelina home and raised her as their own. They gave her a luxury bed to sleep on (a very large bread crumb), hundreds of beautiful dresses and outfits to wear (made from fabric scraps her mother hadn’t known what to do with for years), and more food than she could ever dream of (probably because one “normal-sized” portion of food would last Crumbelina at least a year. At least.).

But Crumbelina was always lonely. She couldn’t go to school because she’d get stepped on. She would’ve been worried about being bullied too, but she was too small even to be seen! Not to mention, Crumbelina’s parents still hadn’t figured out a way for her handwriting to be large enough to be checked by a teacher.

Crumbelina also couldn’t go to the playground for similar reasons. Playgrounds wouldn’t even be that fun for her because just running across a playground toward the swings took her a solid three hours.

As Crumbelina grew up (in maturity, not much in height), she dreamed of finding other people her size.

One day, Crumbelina was outside in the forest her parents planted for her out of a patch of small succulents, when she heard something suspicious.

Well, I mean, a sound can’t really be suspicious. Unless it’s like a creepy whisper, or a creaking door, or some snapping branches, or– okay, I was wrong. Sounds can be suspicious. VERY suspicious.

And THIS was a suspicious sound.

It was the sound of wind whistling through the forest, followed by a deep, buzzing noise.

Then, Crumbelina realized what it was– it was a giant bumblebee! Well, it was actually a normal-sized bumblebee, but to Crumbelina, it was enormous!

The bumblebee swooped close to Crumbelina’s head and she screamed!

Crumbelina ran, but she couldn’t outrun the massive creature.

The bee landed in front of Crumbelina and buzzed, “What isss your name?”

Wow. Very cordial for an insect.

“My name is Crumbelina,” she said, “Please don’t sting me!”

“Get out of town!” the bumble bee exclaimed, “MY name issss Bumblina! It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance! And I’d never sting you. If I did that, I’d die. Also, you’re not big enough to be a threat.”

Oh wow. Extraordinarily cordial for an insect!

“Well, then,” Crumbelina replied, “Perhaps you could do me a favor. Would you be able to take me on an adventure?”

Crumbelina was bold. She didn’t understand that acquaintances usually don’t ask other acquaintances to do them favors.

Luckily, Bumblina was remarkably cordial.

“Of course!” said Bumblina, “Simply climb aboard and I’ll give you a tour of the whole backyard!”

This was exciting. Crumbelina had never seen the whole backyard before!

They flew above ant colonies, and by bees nests, overhead mouse and mole holes, and even through the REAL trees as cicadas and inch worms waved their kind hellos.

All things considered, Crumbelina’s parents probably should’ve called an exterminator or something.

Anyway.

Crumbelina so enjoyed herself, but on this adventure she saw no one like her. And she had so longed that she wasn’t alone.

Bumblina landed and Crumbelina began to cry. She hadn’t found what she was looking for.

“Bumblina,” Crumbelina sobbed, “Why aren’t there small people like me? Have you ever seen anyone who is as little as I am?”

“Oh– of course! People your size live all over this yard! Don’t tell me you’ve never seen any of them?”

She hadn’t. Ever. But you already know that.

Bumblina went on to explain that crumb-sized people lived in the backyards of full-sized people and formed colonies with other backyard creatures. How else would gardens grow, birds know when to fly south, or robins know where to build there nests if they hadn’t been told how to do so by these microscopic people?

The two walked to a nearby anthill and Crumbelina climbed down the tunnels into the ground, only to find that ants were not the only creatures who lived there! There was a colony of people as well– and they were all the same size as Crumbelina!

In fact, not only was the Queen Ant sitting on a throne at the heart of the anthill, but seated next to her was a prince– a human prince– who was training to run the kingdom after the queen stepped down. Or got stepped on.

Crumbelina couldn’t believe it! She asked many people about whether they knew her parents, or where she was from, but no one could giver her an answer.

She learned that many parents would use fluffy dandelion seeds to weave blankets for their newborns. Unfortunately, many times these seeds began to grow and, overnight, would sprout into full-grown dandelions– taking the newborns along for the ride! Crumbelina’s parents must have done this and, before they woke up in the morning, Crumbelina had been taken.

Crumbelina flew home with Bumbllna to tell her large parents the good news! Of course, her parents were sad that Crumbelina wanted to leave, but they were also somewhat relieved because they wouldn’t have to live with the constant fear they might’ve accidentally stepped on her. Also, they were growing older and it was getting hard to hear Crumbelina.

So Crumbelina decided to move to the anthill colony. Soon, the prince fell in love with Crumbelina because she was new and exciting and no one else had ever seen the entire yard before, so she was really good at geography.